


I feel safe when I’m with you

by bcschauer



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Despair Disease (Dangan Ronpa), Fluff, Getting Together, Love Across The Universe: Dangan Salmon Team, M/M, Protectiveness, Saiouma Pit White Day Event, Shuichi protects his boyf, they are in love your honor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-19 08:49:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29996874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bcschauer/pseuds/bcschauer
Summary: There was one crucial oversight Team Danganronpa made when they decided to create a dating game.The fact that when it comes to love, teenagers can be extremely stupid.So they might need a bit of motivation...
Relationships: Oma Kokichi/Saihara Shuichi
Comments: 11
Kudos: 114
Collections: Saiouma Pit White Day 2021 Collection, Saiouma Pit White Day 2021 Collection: Day 2: Despair Disease AND/OR In-Game





	I feel safe when I’m with you

**Author's Note:**

> This is my second piece for the Saiouma Pit White Day Event 2k21!
> 
> The prompt for today was Despair Disease AND/OR In-Game so I decided to (kind of?) do both!
> 
> And of course thank you to the wonderful Psychiccupid for dealing with my extremely overdramatic telenovela-like first draft!

In theory, turning Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony into a dating show was a good decision. Killing games were overdone and the audience payoff wasn't worth the extreme amounts of money it took to program deaths and executions into the VR simulation. Not to mention the extreme costs of therapy and rehab the participants needed afterward, or the inevitable protests about human cruelty.

So when Team Danganronpa released the trailers for their new show "Love Across The Universe," it was met with good reception, and was predicted to be a massive hit! However there was one crucial oversight Team Danganronpa neglected to take into consideration.

This being of course that when it comes to romance, teenagers can be really fucking stupid.

More than a month had gone by in the simulation, and almost no progress had been made on any of the couples. The romantic tension between some of the participants was so strong, the moderators of the simulation swore they could feel it through the monitors. But no matter how much the students pined for each other, nobody made a move, and the producers were getting antsy.

Which is why Tsumugi Shirogane now stood in the secret room behind the library that had been made before the killing game was canceled, frantically typing on a monopad. Using a motive in a dating game was a risky move, especially a motive of this caliber, but there were no other options. Her classmates had been absolutely useless at confessing their obvious feelings for each other. This was the only solution.

She pressed a button on her monopad, nearly feeling the shift in the atmosphere as the virus flowed through the vents towards its intended targets.

It was time for the Despair Disease to take the stage once more.

———

Kokichi Ouma could feel that something was amiss the second he woke up.

He sat up in his bed, already feeling the unnatural heaviness of the atmosphere around him. It was early, probably around 6 AM if he had to estimate from the tiniest sliver of sunlight streaming through where the curtains on his window didn't quite touch each other. He groaned, flopping back down on the bed with the hopes of getting another hour of pitiful sleep before the announcement would wake him up for another day of this agonizing dating game. 

He stopped in his tracks when his head hit the pillow and he felt a small wet spot against his cheek. Instinctively, he tapped the space underneath his eyes, hissing slightly at the small burst of pain that appeared at the contact.

He had been crying in his sleep.

But that wasn't possible. He never cried anymore. At least not when he didn't want to. He hadn't lost control of that since...

Since before he started locking up all his emotions, not letting anyone close enough to find the real him.

Yeah, something was definitely wrong.

He lunged out of bed and made his way to the bathroom, pausing for a moment to look at the whiteboard he had set up the first night, small Polaroid pictures of his 15 classmates staring back at him. Instinctually, his eyes landed on the one in the top right corner, pinned to the board overtop of the word "Trustworthy?" drawn in large block letters. A picture of the person who had come closer to uncovering his true self than anyone else in his life. He gently slapped his cheek when he felt another tear escape his eye.

_ What is wrong with me today? _

He couldn't help but let out a small gasp when he saw his own face in the mirror. His normally bright and peppy eyes were swollen and red, the bags underneath them making him look more like a raccoon than a human being.

_ How much did I cry? _

He dabbed at his swollen eyes with a damp washcloth, washing away the tear tracks as the swelling went down. He applied a touch of concealer he had found in the warehouse under his eyes as he heard the morning announcement chime from the other room. It wasn't a perfect match, but it would work. It wasn't as if anyone spent a lot of time close enough to him to notice anyway.

He had just finished getting dressed when he heard commotion coming from the hallway, footsteps stomping frantically towards the dining hall.

This was going to be a long day.

The weird feeling Kokichi had walking down the hallways only solidified when he opened the doors to the dining hall, and was met with absolute chaos.

Himiko was sprinting around the room, Gonta on her heels as she scrambled over tables and chairs like a child on a sugar high. A very confused looking Kaede was sitting at the table, awkwardly hugging a sobbing Miu. Kaito was curled up in the fetal position in a corner, half laying on a very flustered Maki's lap. The normally put together Kirumi was slumped down in a dining chair, her feet thrown onto the table as she devoured a bowl of potato chips. Under the table were Ryoma and Angie, who seemed to be in a surprising calm game of Yahtzee, oblivious to the chaos all around them.

Kokichi barely had time to take it all in before a dark blur tackled him, pinning him against a nearby wall by his wrists. Once he gathered his bearings, he looked up, straight into the sparkling golden eyes of Shuichi Saihara, who looked just as confused as he felt.

"Saihara-chan?" The words felt dry on his tongue as he failed to stop the intense blush taking over his face and neck. "W-What are you doing?"

"I have absolutely no idea."

The detective's tone was strangely panicked, which was confusing to the smaller boy. What was more confusing though was that Kokichi couldn't seem to tear his eyes away. Ever since realizing his feelings for Shuichi, he had hidden them under lock and key. He never glanced for too long. He never ever stared. He never let his face morph into anything other than that stupid Cheshire grin. It was what was necessary to make sure the man in front of him never found out.

And yet here he was, staring into those beautiful golden eyes that haunted his daydreams, eyes flitting down to that pair of plump rosy lips. His body melted under Shuichi's gaze, mind growing fuzzy, shouts of  _ Safe! Trustworthy! Hold me! Love me! _ overpowering all his rational thoughts. What on earth was happening to him? He did his best to harden his gaze, though he doubted it was that intimidating based on the burning he felt in his cheeks.

"What do you mean you have no idea Saihara-chan?" Both of their faces were beet red, but neither of them made any move to separate themselves. Kokichi noticed that everything around them had gone quiet. He wasn't sure if it was all in his head or if all his classmates were sat down watching this situation transpire while eating popcorn. He didn't want to know.

"I-I'm so sorry Ouma-kun," the taller boy stuttered, finally releasing his grip on Kokichi's wrists. Kokichi mentally berated himself for being so sad at the loss of contact. "I was just over at the table and then you walked in and suddenly I'm here and you're up against the wall and I'm so sorry!"

Kokichi instinctively flashed him an obnoxious grin. "Oh don't apologize Saihara-chan," he cooed, smiling at the way Shuichi shuttered at his tone. He placed a hand on Shuichi's chest and leaned closer to him, drowning in his gaze as their breaths intermingled. "It's not every day I get pinned against a wall by a cute boy. I should be thanking you!"

He didn't even have the time to say his signature 'it's a lie' before Shuichi's hand reached up to cup his cheek, causing his breath to catch in his throat. Shuichi's thumb tenderly stroked the soft skin, making Kokichi's brain melt into a worthless puddle of goo. He could see small traces of panic in Shucihi's expression, as if he couldn't believe what he was doing but was powerless to stop it as his thumb traveled back and forth across Kokichi's cheek.

"You have freckles." The tone of Shuichi's voice was so soft it made Kokichi weak at the knees. "You shouldn't hide them. They're absolutely a-"

Shuichi wasn't able to finish his sentence as he suddenly slapped a hand over his own mouth, stepping away from Kokichi as if he were scared he might do something he would regret.

It was at that moment that Monokuma dropped down from the ceiling, immediately halting all conversation. Even Angie and Ryoma stopped their Yahtzee game to look at him with matching annoyed expressions.

"Upupupu, looks like all the afflicted have finally arrived!" A collective groan spread throughout the room at the sound of the chipper voice.

"Now now I'm suuure you're all wondering what going on, so you'd better pop some smiles on your faces if you want any answers from your beloved headmaster!"

"Now you've been in this game for over a month and no couples have been made at all! It's suuuuper boring. So I took some initiative and gave you all a motive to quit your useless pining for each other. This little number is a virus that can completely change a core aspect of your personality. It's called the despair disease and-"

"The hell kinda name is that?" A voice interjected from across the room. All at once, everyone turned to look at Shuichi, who now had both hands clamped tightly over his mouth.

"Leftover from when we were going to do the killing game. Anywhooooo, seems like you're having a bit of trouble controlling your words huh Saihara?" The blue haired boy shook his head frantically, knuckles going white as he kept his hands firmly placed over his mouth. "Upupupu that's because you have the impulsive disease! The filter between your brain and body has been weakened, and you're more prone to rash decisions."

_ Is that why...? _

The bear spun around in a circle in the middle of the dining hall, pointing a paw at each person as he prattled off their symptoms.

"Yumeno has the energetic disease, Momota has the coward disease and Iruma has the self-conscious disease!"

"What about Tojo-san?" Gonta piped up from the floor, where he had successfully detained Himiko and was now holding her tightly in his arms to stop her from escaping.

"Oh I'm not infected," Kirumi stated nonchalantly, popping another chip in her mouth. "I was just tired of being all proper so I figured I'd take the day off and watch this chaos unfold."

"Aaaand of course there's one more person with the disease in this room," Monokuma drawled out, slowly turning towards Kokichi who gulped. "Personally I think it's the most interesting one of all."

Within an instant, Shuichi was standing between him and Monokuma, shielding him with his body. It was most likely another impulsive decision, but the detective's face showed no signs of fear or regret. Instead, the taller boy was scowling at Monokuma as he protected Kokichi. 

"Ouma has the emotional vulnerability disease!"

Every head in the room turned to look at him as he started to tremble. It all made so much sense now, and that was the awful part. He had no way to mask his emotions anymore. He could see the curiosity in his classmates' faces, their eyes analyzing him as if gauging how much they could rip him apart. He could feel himself starting to hyperventilate, tears threatening to spill as his vision tunneled. Suddenly he felt a hand on his arm.

"Do you want to go back to the dorms?" Shuichi's voice was soft and caring, immediately soothing his racing heart.  _ Safe _ .

He nodded and allowed his beloved to lead him out of the dining hall and away from the prying eyes of his classmates. It took him until they were halfway to the dorms to realize Shuichi's grip had slid down his arm to intertwine their fingers together, arms brushing against each other. Kokichi couldn't help but lean slightly into the contact, feeling more at peace than he could ever remember being.

By the time they reached the dorms, Kokichi had practically melted against Shuichi's side, relishing in the warmth the taller boy provided.

"Ouma," Shuichi gently poked his cheek. "We're here. You gotta let go now." Kokichi just whined.

"Don't wanna." He felt so safe with Shuichi. He didn't want to go back to his lonely, messy room. He smooshed his face against the taller boy’s sleeve. The words started flowing out of him before he could stop them, muffled slightly by Shuichi’s shirt. "It's lonely in there...Don't wanna go back..."

There was nothing but silence for a few seconds. Kokichi's heart rate spiked as fear coursed through his veins.  _ Why did you say that? He's going to hate you now and you'll be lonely fore- _

"My room or yours?"

"H-Huh?" His head shot upward to look at Shuichi, eyes wide as he felt a blush crawl up his neck.

"S-Sorry!" The detective nearly shouted. "I just...you said you were lonely so I thought I'd stay with you. I'm sorry that was so sudden it's the disease you know a-and you don't have to accept I just wanted to help y-"

"Your room," he replied, burying his face once more in Shuichi's biceps. "Mine is a disaster."

He could feel the detective's breath hitch, but he didn't say anything, simply leading the way to his dorm room, unlocking the door and guiding Kokichi inside.

It wasn't until the door was locked behind them that Kokichi realized what he had just gotten himself into. He was alone in his crush's dorm room, holding his hand, while both of them were infected with an extremely unpredictable disease.

But Shuichi was so warm. And his bed looked so comfy. And he was so  _ so _ tired. He could almost feel his eyes drooping where he stood as Shuichi followed his gaze.

"You wanna sit down K-Ouma?" Kokichi hummed in affirmation, pretending not to notice the near name slip. His heart was pounding in his chest from the close proximity to Shuichi as it was, he was pretty sure Shuichi calling him by his first name would send him into cardiac arrest.

Shuichi gently helped him get situated on the bed, sitting up against the headboard and slumping slightly from his exhaustion. Showing emotions was so damn tiring. He wanted nothing more than to just curl up at Shuichi's side and take a nice long nap. He could feel himself involuntarily relax at the mere thought. 

Suddenly, he caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye. He turned towards Shuichi, who looked like a deer caught in the headlights. He was flinching slightly, each shudder causing a brief look of intense pain to flash through his golden eyes.

"Saihara-chan?" Kokichi hated how downright worried his voice sounded. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Another flinch, followed by a sharp gasp of pain. 

"Saihara-chan I'm emotionally vulnerable not stupid!" He placed a small hand on Shuichi's, interlacing their fingers to keep Shuichi's hand from digging into the skin of his knees. "Tell me what's wrong...please... you're scaring me."

"I-" Shuichi couldn't even finish his sentence as he suddenly yelped in pain, clenching his eyes closed tightly. "I-I want to comfort you and make you feel safe but I don’t want to make you uncomfortable so I’m trying to fight it but it hurts a-and I’m rambling now, just ignore me.” His gaze shot back down to his lap, cheeks flushed slightly in embarrassment.

Words ricocheted around Kokichi’s brain.  _ Trustworthy, comfort, safe. Hold me, love me, hug me, safe safe safe safe… _

He wanted to feel safe.

“G-Go ahead.” His voice was hoarse and shaky, almost too quiet for the other boy to hear him. “Please Sai- Shuichi I...I trust you Shuichi.”

He’d never said those words before. Trust meant vulnerability. Trust meant placing complete faith in someone that could turn on you at any moment, armed with the knowledge of your insecurities and weaknesses. He didn’t need to trust anyone.

But he wanted to.

“Are you sure?”

He wanted to trust Shuichi. 

He nodded, immediately feeling his beloved’s arms wrap around him in the softest, most tender and loving embrace he’d ever felt. He felt so safe, so  _ loved _ . He let himself relax in the warmth. Tears immediately started flowing from his eyes when one of Shuichi’s hands reached up to stroke the hair at the nape of his neck. 

“Are you okay sweetheart?” Both boys froze in their tracks when the words left Shuichi’s mouth, staring at each other with wide eyes. Shuichi quickly fumbled for an excuse.

“I-uhhhh. Shit I’m so sorry K-Ouma I just...this stupid disease and-” Kokichi shushed him with a finger to his lips, feeling a bit more confident.

“Shhh silly Shumai I liked it so stop apologizing! Y-Your supreme leader d-demands more nicknames now!” He finished, flopping face first into the detective’s chest, thoroughly embarrassed. He decided to take a leap of faith, hoping he wasn’t reading this wrong.

“A-And call me Kokichi. B-Boyfriends should use each others’ first names after all.”

He shut his eyes tightly, regret already coursing through his veins as he felt Shuichi’s breath catch in his throat. He nearly started crying again until Shuichi’s hand returned to stroking his hair.

“You want to be boyfriends?” The soft tone melted Kokichi’s heart as panic coursed through him again.

“N-No obviously that was just a lie!” He tried to save himself from the embarrassment, but the mask wouldn’t form. “It was just a prank! Obviously I’d never like Shuichi. I’d never be good enough for him anyways.”  _ Shit too far abort abort! Curse this disease! _

“Sweetheart is that what you really think about yourself?” He was met with no response. “Hey, Kichi baby, look at me.”

The nicknames warmed his heart as he unburied his face from Shuichi’s chest. His eyes were filled with tears as he tried not to cry again, looking into those beautiful golden eyes he loved so much. Shuichi rested a hand on his cheek, and he leaned into it, relishing in the soft touch

“Kokichi Ouma, you are the most fascinating and intelligent person I’ve ever met. You care about the others in your own special way and you never fail to make me smile. I’m always thinking about you, and this isn’t the disease talking, it’s me.”

“I’d love to be your boyfriend Kokic-” The navy haired boy couldn’t even finish the sentence before Kokichi leapt at him for a hug, sobbing into his shoulder.

“I’m-I’m s-so happy right now!” He nuzzled his face into Shuichi’s shoulder, his  _ boyfriend’s  _ shoulder, a smile taking over his entire face when he pulled away and saw the happiness in the other boy’s eyes.

“Me too Kichi sweetheart,” he placed a soft kiss on his forehead before pulling him close once again. “Me too.”

Neither of them were sure how long they sat there on Shuichi’s bed, simply holding each other and letting out the emotions they had kept inside for so long, freed through the aid of some strange disease.

But when Kokichi woke up the next morning, feeling well rested for the first time in years, with Shuichi’s arms around him and their limbs tangled together...

He couldn’t help but thank that stupid bear.


End file.
